Valve actuating mechanism



VALVE ACTUATING MECHANI SM Filed April 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

lnvznTor-Z Leaver-n L Plarm VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1944 ZSheetS-Sheet 2 Patented July 16, 1946 :2

VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Leavem I. Plank, Santa Barbara, Calif., assignor to Shell Development Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application'ApriIZG, 1944, SerialNo. 532,914 e The present invention relates to tanks and tank trucks and more particularly to safety means for controlling thedischarge valves from such equipment.

In certain types of tank units, particularly tank trucks for delivery and dispensing ofgasoline to service stations and the like, the truck tank is commonly providedlwith a plurality of separate compartments for difierentgradesof gasoline as well as other inflammable materials,

such as fuel oil, kerosene, solvents, etc. Each compartment is provided with a separate discharge control valve and delivery'conduit, each valve being individually and manually controlled. The control valves are also usually each provided with a safety mechanism suchzas a fusible metal section in the valve handle, in

order to provide automatic closing of the valve in the event of fire in the vicinity of an open valve. A manually operable remote control is generally also included inorder that all of the valves which may be openedatany giventime may be simultaneously closed from theside or end of the truck opposite from that on which the discharge valves are positioned.

It is an object of the present invention to ..provide. improved means associated with the individual valves of a plurality of tanksor compartments for closing the valves in an emergency. Another object is to provide improvedfusible link means associated with said valves adapted to close automatically and simultaneously all the valves in the event of fire in the vicinity of one of the valves. A further object is to provide improved control means of this type which may be easily and rapidly reset after having been activated during an emergency. A still further object is to provide manual and automatic control means which are readily and inexpensively adaptable for use on existing tank systems. Other objects, together with some of the advantages to be derived in utilizing the present invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein v 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-2) Figure I is a perspective view of a valve con- I in opposition to spring 5 which is pivotably joined at 4. In Figure III, the valve handle 5 is shown. in the position it takes when valve I is open, the valve normally tending to return to a closed position, moving valve handle 5 to the position shown in dotted outline in so doing. Delivery conduits as at I! are provided in flow communication at eachvalve.

Rigidly attached. to each valve housing is a bracket as at 6, alternate brackets having support arms as at 25 extending forward to support operating rod 9 in slidable relationship therewith as at 8. Each bracket 6 is provided with a projection 'l terminating above valve handle 5 (when the valve is in the'open position) and extending outwardly from the valvelhousing a distance An operating arm. l5 depends downwardly from and is rigidly attached to rod 9 opposite each valve, a contact plate asat It being rigidly mounted on each operating arm. Operating rod 9 is normally urged to the right in Fig. I by spring ll attached thereto at one end, the other end of spring ll being attached to a stationary point, as for example a bracket 6, by ,means of metalg-uy ID. A second spring I2 is attached to the opposite end of operating rod 9 at 25 and normally urges operating rod to the left in Figure 'l I. Spring I2 is anchored at its other end to a stationary point on or near the valve furthest removed from thepoint of attachment of spring l2 to operating rod 9, a plurality of metalguys l3 with interposed fusible metal links I 4 and an adjustment turnbuckle 24 serving to connect spring l2 to the stationary support. Turnbuckle 24 is adjusted so that the tension on spring [2 is suiIlcient to retain operating rod 9 in the position shown in Figure I.

Bracket I9 is rigidly attached to the truck body and supports link I8 which is pivotably attached thereto at 20. Link I8 is also pivotably attached to operating rod 9 at H and to pull rod 22 at 2|.

Pull rod 22 extends to a. point remote from discharge valves I, usually to the opposite side or end of the tank truck, and terminates in gency handle 23. V

The assembly operates as follows: 7

Referring particularly to Figures II and III, valve I is opened to permit flow therethrough by swinging valve handle 5 outwardly, as shown in dotted outline in Figure II, then downwardly from the position shown in dotted outline in Figure III and finally inwardly and beneath pro-' jection 1 to the position shown in Figure 11. The self-closing mechanism in valve l urges emerhandle 5 upwardly against projection I, thus securing .valve I in the open position, to close the valve, handle 5 is swung outwardly from beneath projection I, whereupon the self-closingmechanism of the valve operates toraise handle 5 to the closed position, as shown in dotted outline in Figure III.

' When one or more valves have been adjusted to the openposi'tion, the valve handles 5 thereof lie against contact plates 16 of arms l5 which are carried by operating rod 9. In the event of fire in the vicinity of the d1schargeva1ves,on

or more of fusible metal links will fail, thus releasing the tension on spring lz, which nor:

mally counters (tensions) the tension onspring II. With the tension upon springv I2 released,

spring ll operates to move operating rod 9 to;

the right in Figure I, thus swinging handles 5 outwardly from beneath projections I by means of arms l5 and contact plates it, As soon as handles5 have cleared "projections 1, the self closing mechanisms of valves l' Operate to move handles 5 upwardly to the closed position. After having been activated, the safety mechanism may bereset by simply replacing the fusible link or links that have failed and 'retenfsioning spring l2. Although it is apparent that the safety mechanism will operate when springs 11 and i2 exactly 'countertensioneachjotherfin practice it has been I I found. desirable to tension spring l2 toa degree 'apprciablyiin excess of spring ll inorder to preve'nt'movement of operating' rod'9 due to vi- 'bration *of the truck in transitjor similar mechanical vibrations.

the is noticed 'by'fhe truck o'pe'rato'r ib'eioi'e' the heat gnrated'is sufficient to cause failure of one or more fusible links, all open valves may be simultaneously closed by means'of emergency handle v 23.- Upon pulling emergency handle 23,1ro'd' 22 operates'to pull one arm of pivotable link It, the meuontemg transmitted through the other arm of pivotable IinkI8"and]serving to pull operating rod 9 against the tension of spring [2, thus swinging handles 5- outwardly frombeneath'prcjections 1 and permitting the self i-closing mechanisms of'valvesl to return valve handles 5 to the "closed position. v

event thatfire near the discharge 'vaives I claim as my invention:

1. Activating mechanism for a plurality of control devices comprising a slideable rod, a plurality of arms on said rod, yieldable means urging said arms out of contact with said control devices and yieldable means urging said arms into contact with said control devices, and a heat responsive element in association with said first mentioned yieldable means whereby said first mentioned yieldable means is rendered inoperative upon a suflicient rise in temperature.

2. Activating mechanism for a plurality of control devices comprising a slideably mounted $061. arms ri idlyat d to Said o a spri urgingfsaidrarms'outof contact with said con-' trol devicesaspring urging said arms into con- Y tact with said'control devices, and a thermally troll devices a 0 spring attached fusible metallic element countertensioning'said I 'first mentioned spring whereby said first mentioned spring may be rendered inoperative.

Activating mec "anism fer-aplurality of con- Siiig a slideable mounted red,

. ra plurality of arms attached tesaid rod, a*first V 7 to said rod urgiiig said red-and arms in a direction such that contact withsaid vices is avoided, a secondwaker ring to said rod-urging said rod andarms posite direction wh rbydo act of said -a r s ith saidepntro devices will result,- fusible e n s--4 V a a Acti-lvatin'g mecfh nism" fona-plural ity of control d slideably mounted rod; a V plur alityright angles to the length-of sali'dfl'b'd a' filfifi spring attached '"to {said rod urging said rod and arm anaerrectiori s'uch that contact er each arm w-itneach control devi'eei's' aVoided-asecond vVeaKer sp ng attached to said rod urging said rodand 'arms' in 1th? v 99 3 :d' w on whif 'Qi i 0 arm with e ch-controldevicefw 1 result; a pin-- rality of fusible-metal" links a ranged in se'ries i1; wherebv said firstspiing W111 be ren ered were; iv egsu rie it is mature in tnevicinity of one or more orsaidfus ble metal 

